box canyon

American  

noun

1. a canyon with steep side walls terminating headwards in a vertical cliff.

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box canyon British  

noun

1. a canyon with vertical or almost vertical walls

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Etymology

Origin of box canyon

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Example Sentences

The feud is unfolding in one of America’s most spectacular corners, a box canyon beneath a concentration of 13,000- and 14,000-foot peaks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

Two days later, the Hotshots were battling the wildfire in a box canyon when the winds suddenly shifted and the flames rapidly raced toward them.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 29, 2023

Tucked into a box canyon and with massive mountains circling the village, Telluride was one of Colorado’s wealthiest mining towns during the gold and silver booms that began in the late 1800s.

From Washington Post • Sep. 2, 2022

For hours, they nudged small herds north into a box canyon with no obvious exit.

From New York Times • Mar. 11, 2015

This time they rested in a tiny box canyon to the right of the highway.

From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty